Latest NBA Rumors on Jonathan Isaac's Magic Contract After Being Waived Ahead of Free Agency

The Orlando Magic are running it back with Jonathan Isaac.

According to HoopsHype's Michael Scotto and ESPN's Ohm Youngmisuk, Isaac has agreed to a one-year deal to return to Orlando after being waived ahead of free agency.

To call Isaac snakebitten would be an understatement.

The 28-year-old missed two full seasons because of a torn ACL in August 2020. Then he tore his left adductor muscle in March 2023. Another knee injury caused him to miss 21 of the Orlando Magic's final 22 games of the 2025-26 campaign.

Orlando waived Isaac before his salary for the upcoming season became fully guaranteed. Not using the stretch provision opened the door for the Magic to bring him back on a more team-friendly contract.

To open his third season, the 6'10" forward started fully showing why the Magic selected him sixth overall in the 2017 draft. He averaged 11.9 points, 6.8 rebounds, 1.6 steals and 2.3 blocks while shooting 34 percent from beyond the arc. He was emerging as a true two-way presence and stretch big.

Then came the series of knee injuries that have significantly limited his impact on the floor.

Orlando brought Isaac off the bench for all 52 of his appearances this past season, and he logged just 10 minutes per contest. His scoring average was a pedestrian 2.6 points, and his three-point shooting cratered at 18.4 percent.

So much of Isaac's promise was predicated on his athletic gifts, and he doesn't have that advantage anymore. He hasn't adapted his game to compensate for the lack of speed and burst, either.

According to the Orlando Sentinel's Jason Beede, experimenting with him as a more traditional center didn't work in 2024-25 because he "was sluggish on the court" after having added some weight to suit a move to the post.

It's still too early to throw in the towel on Isaac staying healthy and being a solid bench option. He was reasonably effective as a reserve between 2023-25.

Being at such a critical juncture in his career could be a big motivator as well.

For the Magic, there isn't a ton of downside to re-signing Isaac since he's not commanding big money or won't be slated for a high-usage role.

The financial component is important for Orlando because the front office will have trouble filling out the supporting cast as long as Franz Wagner, Paolo Banchero, Desmond Bane and Jalen Suggs combine to earn more than $150 million annually.

That doesn't leave a lot left over for the rest of the roster, which has seen Nikola Vucevic enter the fray and Moritz Wagner leave on the second day of free agency.

Waiving Isaac put him back in the Magic's price range, and they know what they're getting by bringing him back.